Chapter 19

For the first twenty-odd years of his life, Shi Changyuan had never believed in gods or Buddhas, nor had he ever set foot in any temple or shrine.

"I brought what you needed." Shi Changyuan pushed open the door and stated his purpose outright.

"Your Majesty."

The Daoist in the reception hall, dressed in a Daoist robe and holding a whisk, lowered his eyes and bowed upon seeing Shi Changyuan enter, clasping his hands before his abdomen in salute.

Looking at the white porcelain bottle Shi Changyuan had brought, the Daoist sighed and asked once more, "Has Your Majesty truly considered this? Humans and demons walk different paths. Since the little demon wishes to leave the mortal world, he must possess some affinity with immortality."

"If Your Majesty wishes to keep him and ruin this immortal affinity, you will surely bear certain karmic consequences. What that means for Your Majesty and Great Li is unknown."

Neither servile nor overbearing before Shi Changyuan, the Daoist raised a hand to calculate, attempting to divine the course of fate ahead. Yet Shi Changyuan remained shrouded in golden light, revealing not the slightest thing to prying eyes.

It was the fortune of the Heavenly Dao.

This fortune was too abundant to see through at all. The Daoist thought that since he could not determine whether it boded ill or well, it was best to let nature take its course. Perhaps everything had long since been destined.

That was also why, after learning that a spirit creature existed at the emperor's side and that the emperor even sought to keep him by his side forever, the Daoist had taken no action against it and had instead been willing to help.

Shi Changyuan's obsession ran too deep. Even if he had not come to him, he would have sought out someone else.

The Daoist took the white porcelain bottle from the table and lowered his eyes. "A spirit creature's brow blood may be used to perform three kinds of spells. The first is to combine it with Your Majesty's blood. Then, that spirit creature will be unable to remain more than a hundred paces away from Your Majesty."

"The second can trap the spirit creature within a magical artifact, leaving him under its control."

"The third links Your Majesty's consciousness to his. No matter what the spirit creature does or where he goes, Your Majesty will know."

"Which does Your Majesty desire?"

Shi Changyuan's bedchamber was truly warm. When Lin Ling woke groggily, Shi Changyuan had yet to return.

"Qiu Fu, do you really not know where His Majesty went?" Lin Ling sat by the window, leaving a narrow crack open as he furtively peered outside.

He tried to find Shi Changyuan, but he was afraid of catching a chill from the wind, so he had come up with this method.

Lin Ling waited for a long time, until the sky had gone dark. Leaning against the windowsill, he seemed to have fallen asleep again.

When a young eunuch woke Lin Ling, snow seemed to be drifting down from the pitch-black sky.

"Young Master Lin, wake up. It seems to be snowing outside."

Lin Ling opened his eyes and pushed the window before him open just wide enough for a palm.

Outside, palace servants carried lanterns and stood beneath the eaves, watching the snowflakes drift from the sky with excitement and delight.

Lin Ling reached out to catch some as well. The snow melted in his palm, cool and strange.

Instinctively, he wanted to show Shi Changyuan beside him, but when he turned around, he realized Shi Changyuan was not there. It was Qiu Fu.

Before Lin Ling had time to feel disappointed, he heard the young eunuch beside him call out, "Young Master Lin, His Majesty has returned!"

Lin Ling looked up and saw shadowy figures in the depths of the night, drawing closer beneath the faint light.

"Your Majesty—"

Lin Ling abruptly pushed open the window and waved outside, nearly leaning half his body out.

As the figure drew closer, Lin Ling flung open the door and rushed toward him.

Shi Changyuan caught him in one swift motion, gathering him into a full embrace. Lin Ling had just come out of the bedchamber, and warmth still radiated from his whole body.

"Where did you go?" Lin Ling's voice carried a wronged note he did not realize was there.

"After I woke up, I couldn't find you anywhere."

Chapter 19

"You won't."

Holding the person in his arms, Shi Changyuan wrapped his cloak around him and carried him into the bedchamber.

"I won't let Lin Ling be unable to find me."

And he would never be unable to find his Mushroom.

Lin Ling looked at Shi Changyuan's solemnly certain expression and nodded. "I believe you."

The two entered the bedchamber, and Qiu Fu deliberately remarked from the side, "Oh my, ever since Young Master Lin woke up, he's been waiting for Your Majesty by the window. He hasn't even eaten dinner. I suppose he wanted to wait and eat with Your Majesty."

Shi Changyuan frowned and looked at the guilty-faced Lin Ling. "Bring the meal."

"Right away!"

Shunde and Qiu Fu accepted the order and left, giving Lin Ling and Shi Changyuan space to be alone.

The moment they stepped outside, Qiu Fu looked at Shunde and grinned as he claimed credit. "Master, how did I do?"

"You brat." Shunde laughed as he scolded him. "You've learned a bit of your master's perceptiveness."

Though it was already late, the Imperial Kitchen quickly delivered dinner. After the steaming dishes were finished, warmth and comfort spread through their entire bodies.

"I'm so full." Lin Ling narrowed his eyes and patted his belly. Soon, drowsiness washed over him again. He rubbed his face, trying to wake himself up a little.

Seeing Lin Ling rub so hard that his cheeks quickly turned red, coupled with his dazed expression, Shi Changyuan thought he looked just like someone flushed from drink.

He reached out and pressed Lin Ling's hands down. "Bullying yourself?"

"Of course not."

Lin Ling looked at Shi Changyuan. "I just wanted to rub myself awake. You ran off somewhere to have fun, and you haven't finished reviewing your memorials. I wanted to keep you company a while longer."

A corner of Shi Changyuan's heart that held Mushroom instantly sank away. He smiled. "All right."

Shi Changyuan's bedchamber had been rearranged once, with a small table added beside the bed for handling official business temporarily.

The chief eunuch lit an oil lamp beside the desk. The two sat before the table: Shi Changyuan reviewed memorials while Lin Ling read storybooks.

Perhaps because where he sat was simply too close to the bed, Lin Ling read and read until he ended up on it.

"It's bad for your eyes."

Shi Changyuan set down his brush, looked at Lin Ling's posture, and said, "If you're sleepy, go to sleep."